Wa Di Yé
Amina
1992: Philips/Phonogram 512 697-2
From its Jean-Baptiste Mondino cover photo to its sporadic French/English lyrics, this album really gives a feeling of Mahgreb Paris to me—not raw Mahgreb material, but some of its voices expressed in polished form. There’s a lot of beautiful stuff here, and although Annabi’s voice sometimes slides onto notes that my “Western” ear isn’t accustomed to hearing (such nuances do exist in Arabic-world music) I do find it to be a delicious brush painting unexpected and lovely vignettes—sometimes almost landscapes. Favorite tracks: “I Guluness,” “Mammou Ayni,” “Yanari.” And “Diggé” (a duet with Wasis Diop, partly in Wolof) has eventually grown on me, not least because its choruses dance around like sparks borne by incense-scented breezes coming from various directions.
Comments © 2005/2014/2019 Mark Ellis Walker, except as noted, and no claim is made to the images and quoted lyrics.